Carton feed mechanism



Dec. 1, 1959 Filed June 11, 1956 clc- I L. McGIHON CARTON FEED MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR. zmwpa/vrwa/v Dec. 1, 1959 McGlHON CARTON FEED MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1956 INVEN TOR. lio/mpo/fr'hrom Dec. 1, 1959 L. MCHGIHON CARTON FEED MECHANISM Filed June 11, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. [id/M499 Mcwom ATTOP/Vi) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 11, 1956 INVENTOR. [Id/V44 0 Mz''wm/ BY 7 W QM Arne/vi? United States Patent 2,915,309 CARTON FEED MECHANISM Leonard McGihon, San Leandro, Califl, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Kiug-O-Matic Equipment Corp., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 11, 1956, Serial No. 590,547 4 Claims. (Cl. 271-10) The present invention relates to feed mechanisms for supplying cartons one at a time from a stack of cartons to a machine for erecting, filling and closing the cartons automatically. The invention is concerned more particularly with an improved feed mechanism of the above character which is reliable in operation, which effects a carton-by-carton feed without interruption due to irregularities in the cartons, and which is adjustable to accommodate different lengths of cartons.

The above and other objects of the invention are attained as described in the accompanying specification, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a feed mechanism of the above character.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the feed mechanism shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken generally in a plane indicated by line 33 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view taken as indicated by the line 44 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 77 in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating a modified form of the invention, being taken similarly to a portion of Figure 2.

The cartonerecting, closing and filling machine with which the instant invention is associated may be of the type described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 485,943, filed February 3, 1955 for Carton Feeding, Erecting, Filling and Closing Mechanism, to which reference is made for a complete disclosure of this machine. For the purposes of the present invention it is sufiicient to understand that the machine includes oppositeframe members 10 which are suitably connected togetherandin which a transverse shaft 11 is journaled to carry a feed chain 12 for a series of carton progressor elements or fingers l3 thereon which pass between a pair of tracks 14 on the opposite frame members 10 respectively. In Figures 1 and 2 a carton 16 is shown on the tracks 14 and being carried through the machine after being fed thereon from the feed mechanism about to be described.

The feed mechanism includes a pair of opposite similar auxiliary frame castings 20, 21 which may be suitably bolted to the side members 10 of the machine and each of which at its top has a horizontal longitudinally extended flange 22 which serves to support the various parts of the feed mechanism including the storage hopper for a stack of cartons. The frame castings 20 and 21 are connected in spaced relation by a pair of spacer rods 23 secured by cap screws 24.

The hopper for the stack of cartons includes a pair of angle shaped uprights 26 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) having a bottom flange bolted to the respective rectangular blocks 25 secured over flanges 22, a pair of opposite upright posts 27 spaced from the angle shaped uprights 26 and adapted to engage the opposite sides of the closed carton blanks 16. Each post 27 extends upwardly from a base bracket 28 which is pivotally mounted and adjustably clamped in place on one of the top flanges 22 by a bolt and nut mechanism 29. As seen in Figure 1 by swinging the base brackets 28 the adjustment of the posts 27 with respect to a carton may be made. In general the adjustment to the width of different cartons is effected by varying the spacing between the opposite frame members 10 and by replacing various cross members with members of the appropriate length.

To confine the cartons length when below the brackets 26, at the discharge end of the hopper, a transverse plate 31 (Figure 3) is provided which is adjustably secured for vertical adjustment to the blocks 25 so that a gap 32 between the transverse member 31 and a horizontal carton support plate 33 can be adjusted to accommodate the thickness of one carton blank. The plate 33 is interposed between the blocks 25 and the flanges 22 adjacent a support plate 30. At the other end of the carton blanks an upright post 36 is provided carried in spaced relation from the upper surface the frame casting 21 by a transverse support member 37 which is adjustably secured by bolt and nut mechanism 38 on a slotted arm 39 secured by a cap screw 41 to the respective flanges 22 of the frame brackets.

Means are provided for effecting a carton by carton feed from the bottom of the stack of the cartons and this means includes a slide structure 51 including a casting 52a to which a carton support plate 53 is secured, and opposite flanges 52b disposed in a lower plane than the top surface 52a and apertured to pass fastening screws 54 for two opposite angle shaped guide members 55. The horizontal flanges of the guide members 55 are received in opposite track members 56 for horizontal sliding movement. At either side of the carton-supporting surface 52a a pair of spring arms 57 are provided having thereon at their rearward ends feed blocks 57a of a thickness to engage the lowermost carton 16 of the stack.

For operating the feed structure 51 there is provided a crank arm or link 58 adjustably secured in the slotted sides 55a of the slide structure by a transverse clamping member 59. At the opposite end the connecting link 58 is connected to a cross shaft 61 extending between two eccentrics 63 carried by respective shafts 64 in bosses 66 of the side castings 20 and 21. Upon each rotation of the eccentrics 63 the feed blocks 57 will pick up the lowermost carton and project it forwardly or to the right as seen in Figure 3 for the extent of feed of the eccentrics,

and thus serve to engage this carton blank with feed mechanism about to be described. As seen in Figures 1, 2 and 5, two pairs of spaced feed rollers 71 are provided carried by respective shafts 72 in fixed lower bosses 73 and in movable upper bosses 74. As seen in Figure 6 the lower fixed bosses 73 at each side of the machine are carried in a frame bracket 76 on a side frame member 10 of the machine and this frame bracket 76 carries a pair of fixed shafts 77 projecting upwardly and passing through suitable apertures in a movable bracket 78 which includes movable bosses 74. The shafts 77 are threaded at the upper ends to receive retaining nut 79, for com- By this means the rollers can be properly spaced to en Patented Dec. 1, 1959.

gage firmly a carton blank advanced between the rollers and to propel this carton blank onto the tracks 14 for engagement by the feed elements 13.

As seen in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, the respective upper and lower shafts 72 of each pair of feed rollers 71 are connected together by an intermeshing pair of gears 92'. Also the lowermost shafts 72 adjacent the feed end of the machine are connected by a coupling collar 72a. Also shafts 72 in each case are extended to carry a sprocket 96. The sprockets 96 at the near side of the machine as viewed in Figure 2 are connected by a chain 91. The sprockets 96 at the opposite side of the machine (Figures 1 and 3) are connected by a chain 97 which also engages an idler sprocket 99 and a drive sprocket 98 on the drive shaft 101. The shaft 101 is suitably journaled on the framework of the machine and is connected through a suitable chain and sprocket drive with the shaft 11 of the machine. The shaft 101 also serves through a chain sprocket mechanism 103 to drive the eccentrics 63 in a suitable manner. From the above description it will be seen that the various elements of the carton feed mechanism are all driven in synchronism with the c'o'nveyin'g means of the carton handling machine.

To summarize the operation of the feed mechanism, the carton hopper composed of the angle shaped uprights 26 and the upright posts 27 and 36 are adjusted appropriately to accommodate the stack of cartons to be handled, and the stack of cartons is placed therein, resting on the inclined plate. When the machine starts to operate the reciprocation of the slide structure 51 and its feed blocks 57 carried by the spring arms 56. engage the lowermost carton 16 and advance this carton through slot 32 to engage the first set of feed rollers 71. These feed rollers 71 are driven of course in timed relation to the feed chain 12 and its progressors 13 and the carton is projected rapidly by the sets of feed rollers 71 onto the tracks 14 into position between a pair of adjacent progressor elements 13 which then carry the carton along the tracks 14 for subsequent operation.

Figure 8 shows a modified form of the invention wherein a carton erecting finger 13a is attached to the chain 12a by a compound linkage including chain links 200 and a connecting link 201, the carton 16 being urged against a stop member 202 by the link 13a as it is elevated in going from the turn on the sprocket tothe straight stretch of the chain 12a. As seen in Figure 8, the end of the erecting finger 13a will travel between the feed rollers 71.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown, so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a carton erecting and closing machine, a feed mechanism including a hopper for cartons and reciprocatory means for ejecting the cartons carton-by-carton from the hopper, a pair of spaced-apart frame brackets extending from the discharge end of said feed mechanism, each of said frame brackets having a pair of transverse bosses therein spaced along the length of said frame brackets; similar bosses of said respective frame brackets being aligned, a feed roller in each of said bosses, an elongated movable bracket positioned above each of said frame brackets, each of said movable brackets having a pair of bosses vertically aligned with the bosses of the associated frame bracket, a roller journaled in each of the bosses of said movable brackets and engaging the associated roller mounted in said. frame brackets, and spring means urging each of said movable brackets towards the associated frame bracket.

2. In a carton erecting and closing machine as recited in claim 1 in which the space between the remote pairs of rollers in the direction of feed is open, and a feed element forming a part of said erecting and closing mechanism and having a path of travel passing between said remote pairs of rollers.

3. In a feed mechanism for carton blanks, a hopper construction for a stack of cartons comprising a pillrality of upright carton confining members including a post for engaging one side of the cartons intermediate ends thereof, a frame structure, means for supporting said post on said frame structure including a supporting bracket extending to either side of the post and a pair of supporting arms secured for pivotal adjustment onsaid frame structure and having a slotted connection with said bracket, support means for said cartons in said hopper including a slide structure having a carton-supporting surface inclined downwardly in the direction of feed, and means for operating said slide structure.

4. In a carton erecting and closing machine, a feed mechanism including a hopper for cartons and reciprocatory means for ejecting the cartons carton-by-carton from the hopper, respective sets of rollers at the discharge side of said hopper for receiving the carton therefrom, said sets of rollers being spaced apart along the direction of travel of the carton and each set of rollers comprising opposite pairs of rollers, the space between the remote pairs of rollers in the direction of the feed being open, and said erecting and closing mechanism including a feed element having a path of travel passing between said remote pairs of rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

